Adventurion

What to do during the hot summer days? Of course, move to the north 🙂 . And in Quebec, we are lucky to have gorgeous nature with plenty of water resources. So much, that if you look on the map, Quebec is almost completely covered with blue color. This car trip will carry you from Montreal to Lake Saint-Jean. And you will have the opportunity to stop in the places which usually available only in National Geographic. But they are very accessible, so you can visit them by yourself.

From Montreal to Tadoussac (Day 1)

This is a pretty long driving day of the car trip to Lake Saint-Jean. But it is possible to make it in one day and even have interesting stops. For us, we discovered Canyon Saint-Anne.

Alternative places to visit on the way

• Aquarium of Quebec
• Old Quebec
• The Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area
• Hiking Le Massif

The only access to Tadoussac is via the ferry. Which brings additional excitement to the end of the day.

Accommodation in Tadoussac

There are plenty of options to stay in Tadoussac. And the most iconic is the Hôtel Tadoussac. But, unfortunately, it was completely booked, so we chose Hotel Sous La Croix. This hotel is not very suited for the family with kids and unfortunately, the fridge is available only in the common area. But if you stay there only to sleep, this could be an acceptable option.

In Tadoussac (Day 2)

Tadoussac is a very famous tourist destination in Quebec. And usually, this city attracts thousands of whale watchers. But this is not the only attraction you can enjoy here. Here is the detailed list of other activities you can enjoy while staying in this beautiful place.

We had a rainy day. But the weather didn’t spoil our adventure and we managed to visit Marine Mammal Interpretation Center, hike Islet Point trail and enjoy the sandy beach of Les Dunes.

From Tadoussac to Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park (Day 3)

This day, before leaving Tadoussac, we hiked De La Colline-de-l’Anse-à-l’Eau trail and enjoy the sandy beach of Tadoussac. The weather was gorgeous and we used this opportunity to extend our stay in this beautiful area.

The goal of this day was to get to Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park, which didn’t make a too-long drive. And this fact gave us an opportunity to search for additional stops on the way.

We decided to stop at Le Quai de Petit-Saguenay. And it was a beautiful and quiet spot to appreciate the greatness of the Saguenay River.

It start from the “Window to the Fjord”.

The road brings you to the peninsula with the statue of the beluga. And there you have a well–maintained area with the parking, dock, and benches. This place brings you very close to the river. So you even could spot a beluga swimming not too far.

If you have a boat, canoe or kayak, be prepared for the unexpected contact with the whale, who could swim very close.

Alternative ideas on the way

• Stop at Anse St-Jean

Accommodation

The initial plan was to camp in the park. But with the road trip conditions, it is easier to stay in the motel. So we booked Auberge du Presbytère de Rivière-Eternité for two nights.

In Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park (Day 4)

The main objective of this day for us was hiking De la Statue trail. This trail is ranked from intermediate to difficult. So, including the time to enjoy the views, the hike took us the whole day.

Alternative ideas for the park

• There are many more hikes of different levels are offered by the park.
• Rent the sea kayak and enjoy the beauty of the Fjord from the water.
• Take a Zodiac tour on an inflatable boat and experience an unforgettable journey on the fjord.
• Climb Via Ferrata and enjoy incredible views of the Saguenay Fjord’s magnificent bay.
• And much more.

From Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park to Lake St-Jean (Day 5)

Before heading to our next destination, we made a short hike in the park and took a cruise to Anse St-Jean Bay. This bay is one of many great places to enjoy sea kayaking. So definitely check Fjord en Kayak.

Ideas to stop on the way

• Learn about the Fjord in Musee du Fjord.
• Watch bears in Okwari Aventures.
• Learn Canadian military aviation history in Air Defence Museum.

Accommodation

There is a huge variety of places to stay around Lake St-Jean. But for the next two nights, we stayed in Motel le Rond Point.

Around Lake St-Jean (Day 6)

Lake St-Jean is a great tourist destination for the bike riders, but not only. In our car trip to Lake Saint-Jean, we chose hiking, cave tour, and cheese-making experiences.

Alternative ideas to explore

• Find your self in the village of the 1920s
• Visit the Zoo
• Ride a bike with Véloroute des Bleuets
• and much more …

From Lake St-Jean to Jacques-Cartier National Park (Day 7)

After breakfast, we left the Lake St-Jean area and headed towards Jacques-Cartier National Park. And the same day managed to make a few easy hikes and paddle the kayak.

Accommodation

The last night of our adventure we spent in Auberge du jeune voyageur.

From Jacques-Cartier National Park to Montreal (Day 8)

On the way back from the car trip to Lake Saint-Jean we stopped again in Jacques-Cartier National Park to hike Les Loups trail.

Ideas on the way

• Stop in Quebec City.
• Touch the history in Domaine seigneurial Sainte-Anne.
• Enjoy the nature in Réserve Naturelle de Pointe-Yamachiche.
• Experience fantastic medieval universe in Duché de Bicolline.
• Visit Village Western Kapibouska.
• And much more …

Example of Montreal – Lake St-Jean Road Trip